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Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 22:59:36 +0200
From: [unknown]
To: PML <phylocode@ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu>, DML <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Subject: Re: Panstems
> Which brings us to an interesting point. If definitions are conside=
red to
be
> prose, and not rigorous formulae, we run into several problems. Fir=
st of
all,
> wordings can be ambiguous. Secondly, reading prose requires full
comprehension
> of the language employed. Suppose somebody were to formulate defini=
tions
in
> Russian, Portuguese, Hindi, Swahili, Classical Latin, Classical Gre=
ek,
etc.?
> Would the database then have to preserve that wording as THE defini=
tion,
and
> wouldn't anyone who didn't know that language be impeded from
understanding it?
This is why the PhyloCode currently rules to write definitions in Eng=
lish or
Latin (Art 9.4, http://www.ohiou.edu/phylocode/art9.html). At this po=
int in
history, I don't think it's a noticeable exaggeration to claim that e=
very
scientist speaks English. However, I think we should invent official
abbreviations for at least the simpler and probably more common kinds=
of
definitions, like {A + B} for a node-based one -- this makes comprehe=
nsion
even simpler and saves space (presumably even webspace and bandwidth =
at the
registration database).
> http://dino.lm.com/keesey/documents/PhylogeneticNotation.doc
Impressive.
The definition of "BreedingGroups" does make one scream, though...
> Another benefit of using a rigorous notation for definitions is tha=
t they
are
> then capable of being parsed and understood by computer programs, w=
hich
could
> have useful applications.
Sounds good...
I'll try to retrieve the system I proposed a month or so ago (it's si=
mpler,
uses non-ASCII characters but only such that occur in iso-8859-1 "Wes=
tern
European", and is not capable of expressing the more complex of your
examples), to see if I could find something about your system to quib=
ble
about... :-)